1
|
Fink JC, Landry D, Webb LJ. Probing the Electrostatic Effects of H-Ras Tyrosine 32 Mutations on Intrinsic GTP Hydrolysis Using Vibrational Stark Effect Spectroscopy of a Thiocyanate Probe. Biochemistry 2024. [PMID: 38967549 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.4c00075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
The wildtype H-Ras protein functions as a molecular switch in a variety of cell signaling pathways, and mutations to key residues result in a constitutively active oncoprotein. However, there is some debate regarding the mechanism of the intrinsic GTPase activity of H-Ras. It has been hypothesized that ordered water molecules are coordinated at the active site by Q61, a highly transforming amino acid site, and Y32, a position that has not previously been investigated. Here, we examine the electrostatic contribution of the Y32 position to GTP hydrolysis by comparing the rate of GTP hydrolysis of Y32X mutants to the vibrational energy shift of each mutation measured by a nearby thiocyanate vibrational probe to estimate changes in the electrostatic environment caused by changes at the Y32 position. We further compared vibrational energy shifts for each mutation to the hydration potential of the respective side chain and demonstrated that Y32 is less critical for recruiting water molecules into the active site to promote hydrolysis than Q61. Our results show a clear interplay between a steric contribution from Y32 and an electrostatic contribution from Q61 that are both critical for intrinsic GTP hydrolysis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jackson C Fink
- Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Program, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Danielle Landry
- Department of Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, and Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Program, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Lauren J Webb
- Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Program, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, and Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Program, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lin YC, Ren P, Webb LJ. AMOEBA Force Field Predicts Accurate Hydrogen Bond Counts of Nitriles in SNase by Revealing Water-Protein Interaction in Vibrational Absorption Frequencies. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:5609-5619. [PMID: 37339399 PMCID: PMC10851345 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c02060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Precisely quantifying the magnitude and direction of electric fields in proteins has long been an outstanding challenge in understanding biological functions. Nitrile vibrational Stark effect probes have been shown to be minimally disruptive to the protein structure and can be better direct reporters of local electrostatic field in the native state of a protein than other measures such as pKa shifts of titratable residues. However, interpretations of the connection between measured vibrational energy and electric field rely on the accurate molecular understanding of interactions of the nitrile group and its environment, particularly from hydrogen bonding. In this work, we compared the extent of hydrogen bonding calculated in two common force fields, the fixed charge force field Amber03 and polarizable force field AMOEBA, at 10 locations of cyanocysteine (CNC) in staphylococcal nuclease (SNase) against the experimental nitrile absorption frequency in terms of full width at half-maximum (FWHM) and frequency temperature line slope (FTLS). We observed that the number of hydrogen bonds correlated well in AMOEBA trajectories with respect to both the FWHM (r = 0.88) and the FTLS (r = -0.85), whereas the correlation of Amber03 trajectories was less reliable because the Amber03 force field predicted more hydrogen bonds in some mutants. Moreover, we demonstrated that contributions from the interactions between CNC and nearby water molecules were significant in AMOEBA trajectories but were not predicted by Amber03. We conclude that although the nitrile absorption peak shape could be qualitatively predicted by the fixed charge Amber03 force field, the detailed electrostatic environment measured by the nitrile probe in terms of the extent of hydrogen bonding could only be accurately observed in the AMOEBA trajectories, where the permanent dipole, quadrupole, and dipole-induced-dipole polarizable interactions were all taken into account. The significance of this finding to the goal of accurately predicting electric fields in complex biomolecular environments is discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chun Lin
- Department of Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, and Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Program, The University of Texas at Austin, 105 E 24th St. STOP A5300, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Pengyu Ren
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Lauren J. Webb
- Department of Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, and Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Program, The University of Texas at Austin, 105 E 24th St. STOP A5300, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Drexler CI, Cracchiolo OM, Myers RL, Okur HI, Serrano AL, Corcelli SA, Cremer PS. Local Electric Fields in Aqueous Electrolytes. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:8484-8493. [PMID: 34313130 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c03257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Vibrational Stark shifts were explored in aqueous solutions of organic molecules with carbonyl- and nitrile-containing constituents. In many cases, the vibrational resonances from these moieties shifted toward lower frequency as salt was introduced into solution. This is in contrast to the blue-shift that would be expected based upon Onsager's reaction field theory. Salts containing well-hydrated cations like Mg2+ or Li+ led to the most pronounced Stark shift for the carbonyl group, while poorly hydrated cations like Cs+ had the greatest impact on nitriles. Moreover, salts containing I- gave rise to larger Stark shifts than those containing Cl-. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated that cations and anions both accumulate around the probe in an ion- and probe-dependent manner. An electric field was generated by the ion pair, which pointed from the cation to the anion through the vibrational chromophore. This resulted from solvent-shared binding of the ions to the probes, consistent with their positions in the Hofmeister series. The "anti-Onsager" Stark shifts occur in both vibrational spectroscopy and fluorescence measurements.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Olivia M Cracchiolo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | | | - Halil I Okur
- Department of Chemistry and National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Bilkent University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Arnaldo L Serrano
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Steven A Corcelli
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wang Y, Ji D, Lei C, Chen Y, Qiu Y, Li X, Li M, Ni D, Pu J, Zhang J, Fu Q, Liu Y, Lu S. Mechanistic insights into the effect of phosphorylation on Ras conformational dynamics and its interactions with cell signaling proteins. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:1184-1199. [PMID: 33680360 PMCID: PMC7902900 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.01.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Ras undergoes interconversion between the active GTP-bound state and the inactive GDP-bound state. This GTPase cycle, which controls the activities of Ras, is accelerated by Ras GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) and guanine nucleotide exchange factors (SOS). Oncogenic Ras mutations could affect the GTPase cycle and impair Ras functions. Additionally, Src-induced K-Ras Y32/64 dual phosphorylation has been reported to disrupt GTPase cycle and hinder Ras downstream signaling. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To address this, we performed molecular dynamics simulations (~30 μs in total) on unphosphorylated and phosphorylated K-Ras4B in GTP- and GDP-bound states, and on their complexes with GTPase cycle regulators (GAP and SOS) and the effector protein Raf. We found that K-Ras4B dual phosphorylation mainly alters the conformation at the nucleotide binding site and creates disorder at the catalytic site, resulting in the enlargement of GDP binding pocket and the retard of Ras-GTP intrinsic hydrolysis. We observed phosphorylation-induced shift in the distribution of Ras-GTP inactive-active sub-states and recognized potential druggable pockets in the phosphorylated Ras-GTP. Moreover, decreased catalytic competence or signal delivery abilities due to reduced binding affinities and/or distorted catalytic conformations of GAP, SOS and Raf were observed. In addition, the allosteric pathway from Ras/Raf interface to the distal Raf L4 loop was compromised by Ras phosphorylation. These results reveal the mechanisms by which phosphorylation influences the intrinsic or GAP/SOS catalyzed transformations between GTP- and GDP-bound states of Ras and its signal transduction to Raf. Our findings project Ras phosphorylation as a target for cancer drug discovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanhao Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Dong Ji
- Department of Anesthesiology, Changhai Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Chaoyu Lei
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yingfei Chen
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yuran Qiu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Xinyi Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Mingyu Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Duan Ni
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- The Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Jun Pu
- Department of Cardiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Qiang Fu
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China
| | - Yaqin Liu
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Lang X, Welsher K. Mapping solvation heterogeneity in live cells by hyperspectral stimulated Raman scattering microscopy. J Chem Phys 2020; 152:174201. [PMID: 32384848 DOI: 10.1063/1.5141422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Water provides a dynamic matrix in which all biochemical processes occur in living organisms. The structure and dynamics of intracellular water constitute the cornerstone for understanding all aspects of cellular function. Fundamentally, direct visualization of subcellular solvation heterogeneity is essential but remains challenging with commonly used nuclear magnetic resonance methods due to poor spatial resolution. To explore this question, we demonstrate a vibrational-shift imaging approach by combining the spectral-focusing hyperspectral stimulated Raman scattering technique with an environmentally sensitive nitrile probe. The sensing ability of a near-infrared nitrile-containing molecule is validated in the solution phase, microscopic droplets, and cellular environments. Finally, we quantitatively measure the subcellular solvation variance between the cytoplasm (29.5%, S.E. 1.8%) and the nucleus (57.3%, S.E. 1.0%), which is in good agreement with previous studies. This work sheds light on heterogeneous solvation in live systems using coherent Raman microscopy and opens up new avenues to explore environmental variance in complex systems with high spatiotemporal resolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqi Lang
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Kevin Welsher
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
First JT, Novelli ET, Webb LJ. Beyond pKa: Experiments and Simulations of Nitrile Vibrational Probes in Staphylococcal Nuclease Show the Importance of Local Interactions. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:3387-3399. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c00747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy T. First
- Department of Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, and Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology The University of Texas at Austin 105 East 24th Street STOP A5300, Austin, Texas 78712-1224, United States
| | - Elisa T. Novelli
- Department of Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, and Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology The University of Texas at Austin 105 East 24th Street STOP A5300, Austin, Texas 78712-1224, United States
| | - Lauren J. Webb
- Department of Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, and Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology The University of Texas at Austin 105 East 24th Street STOP A5300, Austin, Texas 78712-1224, United States
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Luo M, Eaton CN, Hess KR, Phillips-Piro CM, Brewer SH, Fenlon EE. Paired Spectroscopic and Crystallographic Studies of Proteases. ChemistrySelect 2019; 4:9836-9843. [PMID: 34169145 PMCID: PMC8221577 DOI: 10.1002/slct.201902049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The active sites of subtilisin and trypsin have been studied by paired IR spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic studies. The active site serines of the proteases were reacted with 4-cyanobenzenesulfonyl fluoride (CBSF), an inhibitor that contains a nitrile vibrational reporter. The nitrile stretch vibration of the water-soluble inhibitor model, potassium 4-cyanobenzenesulfonate (KCBSO), and the inhibitor were calibrated by IR solvent studies in H2O/DMSO and the frequency-temperature line-slope (FTLS) method in H2O and THF. The inhibitor complexes were examined by FTLS and the slopes of the best fit lines for subtilisin-CBS and trypsin-CBS in aqueous buffer were both measured to be -3.5×10-2 cm-1/°C. These slopes were intermediate in value between that of KCBSO in aqueous buffer and CBSF in THF, which suggests that the active-site nitriles in both proteases are mostly solvated. The X-ray crystal structures of the subtilisin-CBS and trypsin-CBS complexes were solved at 1.27 and 1.32 Å, respectively. The inhibitor was modelled in two conformations in subtilisin-CBS and in one conformation in the trypsin-CBS. The crystallographic data support the FTLS data that the active-site nitrile groups are mostly solvated and participate in hydrogen bonds with water molecules. The combination of IR spectroscopy utilizing vibrational reporters paired with X-ray crystallography provides a powerful approach to studying protein structure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meiqi Luo
- Department of Chemistry, Franklin & Marshall College, PO Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003
| | - Christopher N. Eaton
- Department of Chemistry, Franklin & Marshall College, PO Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003
| | - Kenneth R. Hess
- Department of Chemistry, Franklin & Marshall College, PO Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003
| | | | - Scott H. Brewer
- Department of Chemistry, Franklin & Marshall College, PO Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003
| | - Edward E. Fenlon
- Department of Chemistry, Franklin & Marshall College, PO Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Novelli ET, First JT, Webb LJ. Quantitative Measurement of Intrinsic GTP Hydrolysis for Carcinogenic Glutamine 61 Mutants in H-Ras. Biochemistry 2018; 57:6356-6366. [PMID: 30339365 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Mutations of human oncoprotein p21H-Ras (hereafter "Ras") at glutamine 61 are known to slow the rate of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) hydrolysis and transform healthy cells into malignant cells. It has been hypothesized that this glutamine plays a role in the intrinsic mechanism of GTP hydrolysis by interacting with an active site water molecule that stabilizes the formation of the charged transition state at the γ-phosphate during hydrolysis. However, there is no comprehensive data set of the effects of mutations to Q61 on the protein's intrinsic catalytic rate, structure, or interactions with water at the active site. Here, we present the first comprehensive and quantitative set of initial rates of intrinsic hydrolysis for all stable variants of RasQ61X. We further conducted enhanced molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of each construct to determine the solvent accessible surface area (SASA) of the side chain at position 61 and compared these results to previously measured changes in electric fields caused by RasQ61X mutations. For polar and negatively charged residues, we found that the rates are normally distributed about an optimal electrostatic contribution, close to that of the native Q61 residue, and the rates are strongly correlated to the number of waters in the active site. Together, these results support a mechanism of GTP hydrolysis in which Q61 stabilizes a transient hydronium ion, which then stabilizes the transition state while the γ-phosphate is undergoing nucleophilic attack by a second, catalytically active water molecule. We discuss the implications of such a mechanism on future strategies for combating Ras-based cancers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elisa T Novelli
- Department of Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology , The University of Texas at Austin , 105 E 24th Street STOP A5300 , Austin , Texas 78712-1224 , United States
| | - Jeremy T First
- Department of Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology , The University of Texas at Austin , 105 E 24th Street STOP A5300 , Austin , Texas 78712-1224 , United States
| | - Lauren J Webb
- Department of Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology , The University of Texas at Austin , 105 E 24th Street STOP A5300 , Austin , Texas 78712-1224 , United States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Dalton SR, Vienneau AR, Burstein SR, Xu RJ, Linse S, Londergan CH. Cyanylated Cysteine Reports Site-Specific Changes at Protein-Protein-Binding Interfaces Without Perturbation. Biochemistry 2018; 57:3702-3712. [PMID: 29787228 PMCID: PMC6034165 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
![]()
To investigate the
cyanylated cysteine vibrational probe group’s
ability to report on binding-induced changes along a protein–protein
interface, the probe group was incorporated at several sites in a
peptide of the calmodulin (CaM)-binding domain of skeletal muscle
myosin light chain kinase. Isothermal titration calorimetry was used
to determine the binding thermodynamics between calmodulin and each
peptide. For all probe positions, the binding affinity was nearly
identical to that of the unlabeled peptide. The CN stretching infrared
band was collected for each peptide free in solution and bound to
calmodulin. Binding-induced shifts in the IR spectral frequencies
were correlated with estimated solvent accessibility based on molecular
dynamics simulations. This work generally suggests (1) that site-specific
incorporation of this vibrational probe group does not cause major
perturbations to its local structural environment and (2) that this
small probe group might be used quite broadly to map dynamic protein-binding
interfaces. However, site-specific perturbations due to artificial
labeling groups can be somewhat unpredictable and should be evaluated
on a site-by-site basis through complementary measurements. A fully
quantitative, simulation-based interpretation of the rich probe IR
spectra is still needed but appears to be possible given recent advances
in simulation techniques.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shannon R Dalton
- Department of Chemistry , Haverford College , 370 Lancaster Ave , Haverford , Pennsylvania 19041-1392 , United States
| | - Alice R Vienneau
- Department of Chemistry , Haverford College , 370 Lancaster Ave , Haverford , Pennsylvania 19041-1392 , United States
| | - Shana R Burstein
- Department of Chemistry , Haverford College , 370 Lancaster Ave , Haverford , Pennsylvania 19041-1392 , United States
| | - Rosalind J Xu
- Department of Chemistry , Haverford College , 370 Lancaster Ave , Haverford , Pennsylvania 19041-1392 , United States
| | - Sara Linse
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , Lund University , Kemicentrum, Box 118 , 221 00 Lund , Sweden
| | - Casey H Londergan
- Department of Chemistry , Haverford College , 370 Lancaster Ave , Haverford , Pennsylvania 19041-1392 , United States
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Xu RJ, Blasiak B, Cho M, Layfield JP, Londergan CH. A Direct, Quantitative Connection between Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Vibrational Probe Line Shapes. J Phys Chem Lett 2018; 9:2560-2567. [PMID: 29697984 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b00969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
A quantitative connection between molecular dynamics simulations and vibrational spectroscopy of probe-labeled systems would enable direct translation of experimental data into structural and dynamical information. To constitute this connection, all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed for two SCN probe sites (solvent-exposed and buried) in a calmodulin-target peptide complex. Two frequency calculation approaches with substantial nonelectrostatic components, a quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM)-based technique and a solvatochromic fragment potential (SolEFP) approach, were used to simulate the infrared probe line shapes. While QM/MM results disagreed with experiment, SolEFP results matched experimental frequencies and line shapes and revealed the physical and dynamic bases for the observed spectroscopic behavior. The main determinant of the CN probe frequency is the exchange repulsion between the probe and its local structural neighbors, and there is a clear dynamic explanation for the relatively broad probe line shape observed at the "buried" probe site. This methodology should be widely applicable to vibrational probes in many environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rosalind J Xu
- Department of Chemistry , Haverford College , Haverford , Pennsylvania , United States
| | - Bartosz Blasiak
- Department of Physical and Quantum Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry , Wrocław University of Science and Technology , Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27 , 50-370 Wrocław , Poland
| | - Minhaeng Cho
- Center for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics , Institute for Basic Science (IBS) , Seoul 02841 , Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemistry , Korea University , Seoul 02841 , Republic of Korea
| | - Joshua P Layfield
- Department of Chemistry , St. Thomas University , Minneapolis , Minnesota , United States
| | - Casey H Londergan
- Department of Chemistry , Haverford College , Haverford , Pennsylvania , United States
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Slocum JD, Webb LJ. Measuring Electric Fields in Biological Matter Using the Vibrational Stark Effect of Nitrile Probes. Annu Rev Phys Chem 2018; 69:253-271. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physchem-052516-045011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D. Slocum
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712-1224, USA
| | - Lauren J. Webb
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712-1224, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Kelly KL, Dalton SR, Wai RB, Ramchandani K, Xu RJ, Linse S, Londergan CH. Conformational Ensembles of Calmodulin Revealed by Nonperturbing Site-Specific Vibrational Probe Groups. J Phys Chem A 2018; 122:2947-2955. [PMID: 29400461 PMCID: PMC5867645 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.8b00475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Seven native residues on the regulatory
protein calmodulin, including
three key methionine residues, were replaced (one by one) by the vibrational
probe amino acid cyanylated cysteine, which has a unique CN stretching
vibration that reports on its local environment. Almost no perturbation
was caused by this probe at any of the seven sites, as reported by
CD spectra of calcium-bound and apo calmodulin and
binding thermodynamics for the formation of a complex between calmodulin
and a canonical target peptide from skeletal muscle myosin light chain
kinase measured by isothermal titration. The surprising lack of perturbation
suggests that this probe group could be applied directly in many protein–protein
binding interfaces. The infrared absorption bands for the probe groups
reported many dramatic changes in the probes’ local environments
as CaM went from apo- to calcium-saturated to target
peptide-bound conditions, including large frequency shifts and a variety
of line shapes from narrow (interpreted as a rigid and invariant local
environment) to symmetric to broad and asymmetric (likely from multiple
coexisting and dynamically exchanging structures). The fast intrinsic
time scale of infrared spectroscopy means that the line shapes report
directly on site-specific details of calmodulin’s variable
structural distribution. Though quantitative interpretation of the
probe line shapes depends on a direct connection between simulated
ensembles and experimental data that does not yet exist, formation
of such a connection to data such as that reported here would provide
a new way to evaluate conformational ensembles from data that directly
contains the structural distribution. The calmodulin probe sites developed
here will also be useful in evaluating the binding mode of calmodulin
with many uncharacterized regulatory targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristen L Kelly
- Department of Chemistry , Haverford College , Haverford , Pennsylvania 19041 , United States
| | - Shannon R Dalton
- Department of Chemistry , Haverford College , Haverford , Pennsylvania 19041 , United States
| | - Rebecca B Wai
- Department of Chemistry , Haverford College , Haverford , Pennsylvania 19041 , United States
| | - Kanika Ramchandani
- Department of Chemistry , Haverford College , Haverford , Pennsylvania 19041 , United States
| | - Rosalind J Xu
- Department of Chemistry , Haverford College , Haverford , Pennsylvania 19041 , United States
| | - Sara Linse
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology , Lund University , 221 00 Lund , Sweden
| | - Casey H Londergan
- Department of Chemistry , Haverford College , Haverford , Pennsylvania 19041 , United States
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Malik G, Swyka RA, Tiwari VK, Fei X, Applegate GA, Berkowitz DB. A thiocyanopalladation/carbocyclization transformation identified through enzymatic screening: stereocontrolled tandem C-SCN and C-C bond formation. Chem Sci 2017; 8:8050-8060. [PMID: 29568453 PMCID: PMC5855125 DOI: 10.1039/c7sc04083k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Herein we describe a formal thiocyanopalladation/carbocyclization transformation and its parametrization and optimization using a new elevated temperature plate-based version of our visual colorimetric enzymatic screening method for reaction discovery. The carbocyclization step leads to C-SCN bond formation in tandem with C-C bond construction and is highly stereoselective, showing nearly absolute 1,2-anti-stereoinduction (5 examples) for substrates bearing allylic substitution, and nearly absolute 1,3-syn-stereoinduction (16 examples) for substrates bearing propargylic substitution. Based upon these high levels of stereoinduction, the dependence of the 1,2-stereoinduction upon cyclization substrate geometry, and the generally high preference for the transoid vinyl thiocyanate alkene geometry, a mechanistic model is proposed, involving (i) Pd(ii)-enyne coordination, (ii) thiocyanopalladation, (iii) migratory insertion and (iv) β-elimination. Examples of transition metal-mediated C-SCN bond formation that proceed smoothly on unactivated substrates and allow for preservation of the SCN moiety are lacking. Yet, the thiocyanate functionality is of great value for biophysical chemistry (vibrational Stark effect) and medicinal chemistry (S,N-heterocycle construction). The title transformation accommodates C-, O-, N- and S-bridged substrates (6 examples), thereby providing the corresponding carbocyclic or heterocyclic scaffolds. The reaction is also shown to be compatible with a significant range of substituents, varying in steric and electronic demand, including a wide range of substituted aromatics, fused bicyclic and heterocyclic systems, and even biaryl systems. Combination of this new transformation with asymmetric allylation and Grubbs ring-closing metathesis provides for a streamlined enantio- and diastereoselective entry into the oxabicyclo[3.2.1]octyl core of the natural products massarilactone and annuionone A, as also evidenced by low temperature X-ray crystal structure determination. Utilizing this bicyclic scaffold, we demonstrate the versatility of the thiocyanate moiety for structural diversification post-cyclization. Thus, the bridging vinyl thiocyanate moiety is smoothly elaborated into a range of derivative functionalities utilizing transformations that cleave the S-CN bond, add the elements of RS-CN across a π-system and exploit the SCN moiety as a cycloaddition partner (7 diverse examples). Among the new functionalities thereby generated are thiotetrazole and sulfonyl tetrazole heterocycles that serve as carboxylate and phosphate surrogates, respectively, highlighting the potential of this approach for future applications in medicinal chemistry or chemical biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- G Malik
- Department of Chemistry , University of Nebraska , Lincoln , NE 68588 , USA .
| | - R A Swyka
- Department of Chemistry , University of Nebraska , Lincoln , NE 68588 , USA .
| | - V K Tiwari
- Department of Chemistry , University of Nebraska , Lincoln , NE 68588 , USA .
| | - X Fei
- Department of Chemistry , University of Nebraska , Lincoln , NE 68588 , USA .
| | - G A Applegate
- Department of Chemistry , University of Nebraska , Lincoln , NE 68588 , USA .
| | - D B Berkowitz
- Department of Chemistry , University of Nebraska , Lincoln , NE 68588 , USA .
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Slocum JD, First JT, Webb LJ. Orthogonal Electric Field Measurements near the Green Fluorescent Protein Fluorophore through Stark Effect Spectroscopy and pKa Shifts Provide a Unique Benchmark for Electrostatics Models. J Phys Chem B 2017. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b03935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D. Slocum
- Department of Chemistry,
Center for Nano and Molecular Science and Technology, and Institute
for Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 105
E 24th St. STOP A5300, Austin, Texas 78712-1224, United States
| | - Jeremy T. First
- Department of Chemistry,
Center for Nano and Molecular Science and Technology, and Institute
for Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 105
E 24th St. STOP A5300, Austin, Texas 78712-1224, United States
| | - Lauren J. Webb
- Department of Chemistry,
Center for Nano and Molecular Science and Technology, and Institute
for Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 105
E 24th St. STOP A5300, Austin, Texas 78712-1224, United States
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Adhikary R, Zimmermann J, Romesberg FE. Transparent Window Vibrational Probes for the Characterization of Proteins With High Structural and Temporal Resolution. Chem Rev 2017; 117:1927-1969. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ramkrishna Adhikary
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Jörg Zimmermann
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Floyd E. Romesberg
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Ahmed IA, Gai F. Simple method to introduce an ester infrared probe into proteins. Protein Sci 2017; 26:375-381. [PMID: 27813296 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Revised: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The ester carbonyl stretching vibration has recently been shown to be a sensitive and convenient infrared (IR) probe of protein electrostatics due to the linear dependence of its frequency on local electric field. While an ester moiety can be easily incorporated into peptides via solid-phase synthesis, currently there is no method available to site-specifically incorporate it into a large protein. Herein, we show that it is possible to use a cysteine alkylation reaction to achieve this goal and demonstrate the feasibility of this simple method by successfully incorporating a methyl ester group (CH2 COOCH3 ) into a model peptide (YGGCGG), two amyloid-forming peptides derived from the insulin B chain and Aβ, and bovine serum albumin (BSA). IR results obtained with those peptide and protein systems further confirm the utility of this vibrational probe in monitoring, for example, the structural integrity of amyloid fibrils and ligand binding-induced changes in protein local hydration status.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ismail A Ahmed
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104
| | - Feng Gai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Slocum JD, Webb LJ. Nitrile Probes of Electric Field Agree with Independently Measured Fields in Green Fluorescent Protein Even in the Presence of Hydrogen Bonding. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:6561-70. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b02156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D. Slocum
- Department
of Chemistry,
Center for Nano and Molecular Science and Technology, and Institute
for Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 105
E 24th Street STOP A5300, Austin, Texas 78712-1224, United States
| | - Lauren J. Webb
- Department
of Chemistry,
Center for Nano and Molecular Science and Technology, and Institute
for Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 105
E 24th Street STOP A5300, Austin, Texas 78712-1224, United States
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Lu S, Jang H, Muratcioglu S, Gursoy A, Keskin O, Nussinov R, Zhang J. Ras Conformational Ensembles, Allostery, and Signaling. Chem Rev 2016; 116:6607-65. [PMID: 26815308 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.5b00542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 262] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Ras proteins are classical members of small GTPases that function as molecular switches by alternating between inactive GDP-bound and active GTP-bound states. Ras activation is regulated by guanine nucleotide exchange factors that catalyze the exchange of GDP by GTP, and inactivation is terminated by GTPase-activating proteins that accelerate the intrinsic GTP hydrolysis rate by orders of magnitude. In this review, we focus on data that have accumulated over the past few years pertaining to the conformational ensembles and the allosteric regulation of Ras proteins and their interpretation from our conformational landscape standpoint. The Ras ensemble embodies all states, including the ligand-bound conformations, the activated (or inactivated) allosteric modulated states, post-translationally modified states, mutational states, transition states, and nonfunctional states serving as a reservoir for emerging functions. The ensemble is shifted by distinct mutational events, cofactors, post-translational modifications, and different membrane compositions. A better understanding of Ras biology can contribute to therapeutic strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shaoyong Lu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Shanghai Universities E-Institute for Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine , Shanghai, 200025, China.,Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory, National Cancer Institute , Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Hyunbum Jang
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory, National Cancer Institute , Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | | | | | | | - Ruth Nussinov
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory, National Cancer Institute , Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States.,Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Sackler School of Medicine, Sackler Institute of Molecular Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Shanghai Universities E-Institute for Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine , Shanghai, 200025, China
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Adhikary R, Zimmermann J, Dawson PE, Romesberg FE. Temperature Dependence of CN and SCN IR Absorptions Facilitates Their Interpretation and Use as Probes of Proteins. Anal Chem 2015; 87:11561-7. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5b03437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ramkrishna Adhikary
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North
Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Jörg Zimmermann
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North
Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Philip E. Dawson
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North
Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Floyd E. Romesberg
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North
Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Ritchie AW, Webb LJ. Understanding and Manipulating Electrostatic Fields at the Protein-Protein Interface Using Vibrational Spectroscopy and Continuum Electrostatics Calculations. J Phys Chem B 2015; 119:13945-57. [PMID: 26375183 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b06888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Biological function emerges in large part from the interactions of biomacromolecules in the complex and dynamic environment of the living cell. For this reason, macromolecular interactions in biological systems are now a major focus of interest throughout the biochemical and biophysical communities. The affinity and specificity of macromolecular interactions are the result of both structural and electrostatic factors. Significant advances have been made in characterizing structural features of stable protein-protein interfaces through the techniques of modern structural biology, but much less is understood about how electrostatic factors promote and stabilize specific functional macromolecular interactions over all possible choices presented to a given molecule in a crowded environment. In this Feature Article, we describe how vibrational Stark effect (VSE) spectroscopy is being applied to measure electrostatic fields at protein-protein interfaces, focusing on measurements of guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-binding proteins of the Ras superfamily binding with structurally related but functionally distinct downstream effector proteins. In VSE spectroscopy, spectral shifts of a probe oscillator's energy are related directly to that probe's local electrostatic environment. By performing this experiment repeatedly throughout a protein-protein interface, an experimental map of measured electrostatic fields generated at that interface is determined. These data can be used to rationalize selective binding of similarly structured proteins in both in vitro and in vivo environments. Furthermore, these data can be used to compare to computational predictions of electrostatic fields to explore the level of simulation detail that is necessary to accurately predict our experimental findings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W Ritchie
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology, and Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin , 105 East 24th Street STOP A5300, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Lauren J Webb
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology, and Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin , 105 East 24th Street STOP A5300, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Fried SD, Bagchi S, Boxer SG. Extreme electric fields power catalysis in the active site of ketosteroid isomerase. Science 2015; 346:1510-4. [PMID: 25525245 DOI: 10.1126/science.1259802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 320] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Enzymes use protein architecture to impose specific electrostatic fields onto their bound substrates, but the magnitude and catalytic effect of these electric fields have proven difficult to quantify with standard experimental approaches. Using vibrational Stark effect spectroscopy, we found that the active site of the enzyme ketosteroid isomerase (KSI) exerts an extremely large electric field onto the C=O chemical bond that undergoes a charge rearrangement in KSI's rate-determining step. Moreover, we found that the magnitude of the electric field exerted by the active site strongly correlates with the enzyme's catalytic rate enhancement, enabling us to quantify the fraction of the catalytic effect that is electrostatic in origin. The measurements described here may help explain the role of electrostatics in many other enzymes and biomolecular systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen D Fried
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-1052, USA
| | - Sayan Bagchi
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-1052, USA
| | - Steven G Boxer
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-1052, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Abstract
Infrared spectroscopy has played an instrumental role in the study of a wide variety of biological questions. However, in many cases, it is impossible or difficult to rely on the intrinsic vibrational modes of biological molecules of interest, such as proteins, to reveal structural and environmental information in a site-specific manner. To overcome this limitation, investigators have dedicated many recent efforts to the development and application of various extrinsic vibrational probes that can be incorporated into biological molecules and used to site-specifically interrogate their structural or environmental properties. In this review, we highlight recent advancements in this rapidly growing research area.
Collapse
|
23
|
Londergan CH, Baskin R, Bischak CG, Hoffman KW, Snead DM, Reynoso C. Dynamic Asymmetry and the Role of the Conserved Active-Site Thiol in Rabbit Muscle Creatine Kinase. Biochemistry 2014; 54:83-95. [DOI: 10.1021/bi5008063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Casey H. Londergan
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - Rachel Baskin
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - Connor G. Bischak
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - Kevin W. Hoffman
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - David M. Snead
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - Christopher Reynoso
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Johnson MR, Londergan CH, Charkoudian LK. Probing the phosphopantetheine arm conformations of acyl carrier proteins using vibrational spectroscopy. J Am Chem Soc 2014; 136:11240-3. [PMID: 25080832 PMCID: PMC4140477 DOI: 10.1021/ja505442h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Acyl carrier proteins (ACPs) are universal and highly conserved domains central to both fatty acid and polyketide biosynthesis. These proteins tether reactive acyl intermediates with a swinging 4'-phosphopantetheine (Ppant) arm and interact with a suite of catalytic partners during chain transport and elongation while stabilizing the growing chain throughout the biosynthetic pathway. The flexible nature of the Ppant arm and the transient nature of ACP-enzyme interactions impose a major obstacle to obtaining structural information relevant to understanding polyketide and fatty acid biosynthesis. To overcome this challenge, we installed a thiocyanate vibrational spectroscopic probe on the terminal thiol of the ACP Ppant arm. This site-specific probe successfully reported on the local environment of the Ppant arm of two ACPs previously characterized by solution NMR, and was used to determine the solution exposure of the Ppant arm of an ACP from 6-deoxyerythronolide B synthase (DEBS). Given the sensitivity of the probe's CN stretching band to conformational distributions resolved on the picosecond time scale, this work lays a foundation for observing the dynamic action-related structural changes of ACPs using vibrational spectroscopy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew
N. R. Johnson
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041-1392, United States
| | - Casey H. Londergan
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041-1392, United States
| | - Louise K. Charkoudian
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041-1392, United States
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Serrano León E, Coat R, Moutel B, Pruvost J, Legrand J, Gonçalves O. Influence of physical and chemical properties of HTSXT-FTIR samples on the quality of prediction models developed to determine absolute concentrations of total proteins, carbohydrates and triglycerides: a preliminary study on the determination of their absolute concentrations in fresh microalgal biomass. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2014; 37:2371-80. [PMID: 24861315 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-014-1215-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2013] [Accepted: 05/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Absolute concentrations of total macromolecules (triglycerides, proteins and carbohydrates) in microorganisms can be rapidly measured by FTIR spectroscopy, but caution is needed to avoid non-specific experimental bias. Here, we assess the limits within which this approach can be used on model solutions of macromolecules of interest. We used the Bruker HTSXT-FTIR system. Our results show that the solid deposits obtained after the sampling procedure present physical and chemical properties that influence the quality of the absolute concentration prediction models (univariate and multivariate). The accuracy of the models was degraded by a factor of 2 or 3 outside the recommended concentration interval of 0.5-35 µg spot(-1). Change occurred notably in the sample hydrogen bond network, which could, however, be controlled using an internal probe (pseudohalide anion). We also demonstrate that for aqueous solutions, accurate prediction of total carbohydrate quantities (in glucose equivalent) could not be made unless a constant amount of protein was added to the model solution (BSA). The results of the prediction model for more complex solutions, here with two components: glucose and BSA, were very encouraging, suggesting that this FTIR approach could be used as a rapid quantification method for mixtures of molecules of interest, provided the limits of use of the HTSXT-FTIR method are precisely known and respected. This last finding opens the way to direct quantification of total molecules of interest in more complex matrices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esteban Serrano León
- Université de Nantes, GEPEA UMR CNRS 6144, Bât. CRTT, 37 bd de l'Université, BP 406, 44602, Saint-Nazaire Cedex, France
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Unravelling the matrix effect of fresh sampled cells for in vivo unbiased FTIR determination of the absolute concentration of total lipid content of microalgae. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2014; 37:2175-87. [DOI: 10.1007/s00449-014-1194-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Accepted: 04/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
|
27
|
Walker DM, Wang R, Webb LJ. Conserved electrostatic fields at the Ras–effector interface measured through vibrational Stark effect spectroscopy explain the difference in tilt angle in the Ras binding domains of Raf and RalGDS. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2014; 16:20047-60. [DOI: 10.1039/c4cp00743c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Vibrational Stark effect (VSE) spectroscopy was used to measure the electrostatic fields present at the interface of the human guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) Ras docked with the Ras binding domain (RBD) of the protein kinase Raf.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David M. Walker
- Department of Chemistry
- Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology
- and Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology
- The University of Texas at Austin
- Austin, USA
| | - Ruifei Wang
- Department of Chemistry
- Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology
- and Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology
- The University of Texas at Austin
- Austin, USA
| | - Lauren J. Webb
- Department of Chemistry
- Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology
- and Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology
- The University of Texas at Austin
- Austin, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Walker DM, Hayes EC, Webb LJ. Vibrational Stark effect spectroscopy reveals complementary electrostatic fields created by protein–protein binding at the interface of Ras and Ral. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2013; 15:12241-52. [DOI: 10.1039/c3cp51284c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
|
29
|
Johnson CW, Mattos C. The Allosteric Switch and Conformational States in Ras GTPase Affected by Small Molecules. INHIBITORS OF THE RAS SUPERFAMILY G-PROTEINS, PART A 2013; 33 Pt A:41-67. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-416749-0.00003-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
|
30
|
Pazos IM, Gai F. Solute's perspective on how trimethylamine oxide, urea, and guanidine hydrochloride affect water's hydrogen bonding ability. J Phys Chem B 2012; 116:12473-8. [PMID: 22998405 PMCID: PMC3475735 DOI: 10.1021/jp307414s] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
While the thermodynamic effects of trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), urea, and guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl) on protein stability are well understood, the underlying mechanisms of action are less well characterized and, in some cases, even under debate. Herein, we employ the stretching vibration of two infrared (IR) reporters, i.e., nitrile (C≡N) and carbonyl (C═O), to directly probe how these cosolvents mediate the ability of water to form hydrogen bonds with the solute of interest, e.g., a peptide. Our results show that these three agents, despite having different effects on protein stability, all act to decrease the strength of the hydrogen bonds formed between water and the infrared probe. While the behavior of TMAO appears to be consistent with its protein-protecting ability, those of urea and GdnHCl are inconsistent with their role as protein denaturants. The latter is of particular interest as it provides strong evidence indicating that although urea and GdnHCl can perturb the hydrogen-bonding property of water their protein-denaturing ability does not arise from a simple indirect mechanism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ileana M. Pazos
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Feng Gai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Holzapfel G, Buhrman G, Mattos C. Shift in the equilibrium between on and off states of the allosteric switch in Ras-GppNHp affected by small molecules and bulk solvent composition. Biochemistry 2012; 51:6114-26. [PMID: 22845804 DOI: 10.1021/bi300509j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Ras GTPase cycles between its active GTP-bound form promoted by GEFs and its inactive GDP-bound form promoted by GAPs to affect the control of various cellular functions. It is becoming increasingly apparent that subtle regulation of the GTP-bound active state may occur through promotion of substates mediated by an allosteric switch mechanism that induces a disorder to order transition in switch II upon ligand binding at an allosteric site. We show with high-resolution structures that calcium acetate and either dithioerythritol (DTE) or dithiothreitol (DTT) soaked into H-Ras-GppNHp crystals in the presence of a moderate amount of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) can selectively shift the equilibrium to the "on" state, where the active site appears to be poised for catalysis (calcium acetate), or to what we call the "ordered off" state, which is associated with an anticatalytic conformation (DTE or DTT). We also show that the equilibrium is reversible in our crystals and dependent on the nature of the small molecule present. Calcium acetate binding in the allosteric site stabilizes the conformation observed in the H-Ras-GppNHp/NOR1A complex, and PEG, DTE, and DTT stabilize the anticatalytic conformation observed in the complex between the Ras homologue Ran and Importin-β. The small molecules are therefore selecting biologically relevant conformations in the crystal that are sampled by the disordered switch II in the uncomplexed GTP-bound form of H-Ras. In the presence of a large amount of PEG, the ordered off conformation predominates, whereas in solution, in the absence of PEG, switch regions appear to remain disordered in what we call the off state, unable to bind DTE.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve Holzapfel
- Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|